1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photoreceptor, a method of producing the same, a process cartridge provided with the electrophotographic photoreceptor, and an image-forming apparatus.
2. Related Art
A xerographic image forming apparatus is provided with an electrophotographic photoreceptor (sometimes referred to below as “photoreceptor”), charging device, exposing device, developing device and a transfer unit, and forms images by an electrophotographic process using the devices.
The xerographic image forming apparatuses has been advancing from the view point of high-speed image forming and life time of the image forming apparatus by developing the technology employed in each of the components and systems. Along with this trend, there are even greater demands than before for the applicability to high speed processing, and for the high reliability, of each of the subsystems.
In particular, the demands for high speed applicability and high reliability are even greater for photoreceptors that are used for writing images thereon, and cleaner for cleaning the photoreceptors, since they both receive considerably stress from the sliding motion therebetween, and image defects readily occur due to scratches, abrasion, and other such defects.
There are also strong demands for higher image qualities. Considering such demands, toners that have smaller size particles, tighter particle distributions, increased sphericity and the like are being sought. As a method of producing toners that meet these qualities, chemical toners, which are manufactured in a solution containing water as a main component thereof, has been actively developed. As a result of this, it has recently become possible to obtain photo-like quality images.
Furthermore, it has been demanded strongly to increase longevity of image-forming apparatuses. In order to realize such increases in longevity of image-forming apparatuses, increased durability of photoreceptors is being sought, and photoreceptors with protective layers that use cross-linking resin materials are proposed.